The holidays are designed to activate attachment and belonging—traditions, roles, togetherness, “home,” nostalgia.

So if there’s any kind of absence in your life, this season highlights it.

Grief can show up as:

• tears that come out of nowhere  

• a tight throat or heavy chest  

• feeling disconnected in rooms full of people  

• guilt for not feeling “grateful enough”  

• anxiety about gatherings, conversations, or questions  

• comparing your life to everyone else’s “togetherness”  

This isn’t weakness. It’s your nervous system and your heart trying to make sense of what’s missing—and what still matters.